3 potential landing spots for ex-Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan ft. Rangers

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a coaching change on Monday as the team announced it had parted ways with coach Mike Sullivan.

Sullivan had been the Penguins' coach for 10 seasons and helped them win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. However, Pittsburgh failed to make the playoffs in three straight years. General manager Kyle Dubas released a statement on Sullivan's departure.

"He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization," Dubas said. "This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.

After Sullivan was let go from the Penguins, here are three landing spots for him.

3 potential landing spots for ex-Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan

#1, New York Rangers

The New York Rangers fired coach Peter Laviolette this offseason, and they are the most likely landing spot for Mike Sullivan.

Sullivan is a vocal coach who is considered one of the best coaches in the NHL. The Rangers need to swing big for a coach, and right now, Sullivan is arguably the best available.

Sullivan has also previously been an assistant coach with the Rangers.

#2, Boston Bruins

The two favorites for Mike Sullivan appear to be the Rangers and the Boston Bruins.

Joe Sacco was the interim coach, but it's uncertain if he'll be promoted to head coach.

Boston has made it clear it wants to compete next season, and Sullivan will help the Bruins be competitive next season if that is the case.

#3, Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver decided not to pick up the option on Rick Tocchet's contract, but it still could agree to a long-term deal.

Yet, if the Canucks opt to go in a different direction entirely, hiring Sullivan makes some sense. Sullivan is a great coach who can help the Canucks try and get over the hump.

Sullivan also served as an associate head coach and was an interim head coach for six games for the Canucks while John Tortorella was suspended.

Regardless, Sullivan will have multiple options.

About the author

Cole is an NHL, NFL and College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience writing for publications like CBC, USA Today, SMG, BJPENN, Sherdog and SB Nation.

An NHL fan his whole life, Cole played rep hockey in Canada from age 5 until 17 and grew up rooting for Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning. His all-time favorite players are Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, while Jon Cooper is his favorite coach of all time.

Cole attended Sheridan College and received his journalism degree in 2019. After decades of watching and reporting, he considers his knowledge of sports as his primary strength. He ensures that the same story has been reported by at least two reputed reporters before creating it.

Cole enjoys playing golf and spending time with friends and family when not reporting breaking stories. His favorite sports moment is from the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Team USA for the gold medal.

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Edited by Cole Shelton